The house was in such a state when my husband Gary and I viewed it that I don't think anyone else was interested!' says Natasha. 'Inside, everything was grubby and worn, and the decor was awful - turquoise kitchen walls and cupboards, an old-fashioned gas fire in the living room, and hideous vinyl wallpapers everywhere.
The layout was strange too, as the living room was only accessible from the dining room, and you had to walk through the second bedroom in order to reach the bathroom. It was going to be a challenge, but the potential was there. The amount of work that needed to be done must have put most people off, but Gary and I were looking for a doer-upper where we could make our mark.
Make do and mend
Once in, we scrubbed the whole house and painted over the worst of the wallpaper to make it liveable, but it was freezing cold, as there was no insulation. We had a wood burner fitted in the dining room as soon as possible, but we couldn't do more because we were saving for the renovation. It was two years before we could afford to start major work, but we made do, and I spent the time saving, planning and researching. Although it was a long wait, it worked for me. I like to think things over carefully and then, hopefully, make the right choices.
Neither of us had much renovation experience but we were determined to do whatever we could ourselves. Gary was already quite handy, as he builds sets for photography at work, but we used online videos to pick up information and learn how to do things like tiling. It definitely wasn't the easy option, but it made our budget go much further.
Back to basics
This story is from the December 13 - 20, 2022 edition of WOMAN'S WEEKLY.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 13 - 20, 2022 edition of WOMAN'S WEEKLY.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Big Help OUT
Support a cause close to your heart with this brilliant charity campaign
MENOPAUSE the good news!
Fed up hearing about how menopause is all doom and gloom? Here’s how to make this period the happiest of your life
Your wellbeing
LATEST HEALTH SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR MIND AND BODY
BABY brights
Stitch this sweet bib and bloomers set for a new arrival
GARDEN notes
Puffy peonies and a glam grass
In the footsteps OF HEIDI
Discover Swiss spa town Bad Ragaz and the surrounding Alpine landscape, setting for the classic novel Heidi
Make-ahead PUDDINGS
Showstopping desserts for weekend entertaining
One pan FEASTS
In her new cookbook, Anna Jones shows how to whip up a meal with minimal fuss
Animal MAGIC
Three women reveal how they are using their much-loved animals to help others
Sensational sewing
With The Great British Sewing Bee back later this month, three women share their love of stitching